Category Archive

Born in 1850 at Boghead Aberdeenshire, Scotland to parents William Duguid and Jane Emslie. Married Jane Ann Smith Cattanach and had one child named Annie Cattanach Duguid. In the early 1880s Alexander studied at Aberdeen School of Art, receiving a full award in the elementary section in August 1881. He presumably continued classes until gaining a qualification in architecture (1). A.E. Duguid had a significant body of architectural work prior to leaving the United Kingdom. http://www.scottisharchitects.org.uk/architect_full.php?id=200609 The Duguid family arrived in Melbourne in 1884. His daughter Annie was educated Victoria Ladlies’ College ,Melbourne, Australia. She was keenly interested in politics, being one of the founders of the Women’s Unionist Assn. of South Africa. An active supporter of the Empire Movement promoted by Lord Meath and a worker for juvenile temperance. Rec. Elocution; Music; Gardening. She married George William Nelson, Optologist, Justice of the Peace, and Lord Mayor of Johannesburg from 1930-31. One Son – Francis Horatio Duguid Nelson. Monaltrie, 1 Curzon Street, West Melbourne was built for engineer, George Small in 1888, this house was owned and occupied by him until his death in 1903. Architect, A.E. Duguid and builder, James Bailey were responsible for the creation of Monaltrie House. …

James Thurgood was a builder and property developer, responsible for constructing a number of notable churches, presbyteries, masonic halls and houses in Hotham (now North Melbourne) and inner Melbourne from the 1860s through to the 1880s. He also constructed the sheds A -E of Melbourne’s iconic Queen Victoria Market in 1877-78. James was the son of William Thurgood, a carpenter, and his wife, Ann Tolworthy, both natives of Islington in Middlesex, England (now part of Greater London). He was born in 1841 in Islington and was the fifth of the couple’s seven children. James’ older sister, Eleanor, had emigrated from England to Melbourne in 1859 as an assisted passenger[1]. In all likelihood she had written letters home about the opportunities for work to be found in the rapidly growing township. Possibly inspired by such correspondence, James and his older brother, John Joseph decided to emigrate and left England in late 1864. They arrived at the Port of Melbourne on the ship, Norfolk, on 8 February, 1865. James was aged 23 years and gave no occupation on the passenger list; his brother, aged 25 years gave his occupation as a mariner. The following year, their younger brother, Alfred also arrived in …

Alexander Edward Short was born around 1831 at Blackwall, London, the son of Elizabeth Sarah Hastings and Thomas Short. His parents left England sometime between the birth of Martha Short in 1833 England and the birth of Matilda Short in 1837 at Hobart. The Short family arrived in Tasmania in 1835, at the age of 21 years, Alexander Short married Jane Allan, who was 16 years of age, in 1852 in Hobart town. Jane Allen was born around 1836 in Hobart town to parents John Henry Allan and Elizabeth Rayner. The Short family eventually left Tasmania for a new life the colony of Port Phillip. Alexander and Jane had 11 children between the years 1856 until 1879, all their children were born in Victoria. Alexander Edward Short was the first crown land purchaser of a piece of land being lot number 10 in section 56 on the corner of Hawke and Spencer Streets in West Melbourne from the Compiled Crown Record Plan. Mr. Thomas Short (father of Alexander Short) was also a first crown land purchaser of lot 1 section O on the corner of Abbotsford, Adderley & Ireland Streets in West Melbourne from the Compiled Crown Record Plan. On …

Frederick Josias Brearley was born in 1865 in Ashbourne, Victoria near the Macedon Ranges. His English parents, Thomas Brearley, was 27 and his mother, Alice nee Pratt, was 30, were married at the Prestbury in Cheshire England on the 21st of May 1863. It is thought they emigrated by ship from England to Port Phillip sometime before 1865. Frederick married Mary Oldrieve in 1897. Mary was born in 1867 in Bendigo to parents Robert Oldrieve and Annie King and she grew up with her parents at house number 37 Miller street West Melbourne from 1894 until she married. Frederick and Mary had two children, Norman and Cecil, and for a time they lived at 555 Queensberry Street North Melbourne (previously known as 155), very close to Miller Street. Brearley, architect for a two-story home in Wilson Street Princess Hill (Carlton) in September 1889 found in the Burchett index. The owner of the home was J Cormack and the builders were Miles & Cormack, 143 Leicester Street. F Brearley, 1896, Adderley Street West Melbourne, house. FE Brearley, 1910, Peel Street North Melbourne, Two story brick house. FJ Brearley, 1899, Rosslyn Street, West Melbourne, 3 cottages FJ Brearley, 1909, 9 Princes Street, …

James & Jane Taylor lived at 25 Miller Street West Melbourne. (previously known as house number 13) James Taylor was born about 1828 in Crewe Cheshire England to parents Henry & Catherine Taylor nee Smith. In 1847 at the age of 19, James married Jane Rogers at Cheshire. Jane Rogers was born about 1824 in Stafford-shire England, her father’s name was William Rogers. It is thought the Taylor family emigrated to the Port Phillip district around 1853. James and Jane Taylor had ten children, some born in England and others born in Australia. In birth order they were Elizabeth, Robert, Sarah, Catherine, Mary Jane, Ann Emma, Alfred Thomas, Catherine 2, Catherine 3 and Jane Francis Taylor. James Taylor was as a contractor ‘James Taylor 13 Miller Street West Melbourne’ in the Burchett index and was responsible for buildings in East, North and West Melbourne between the 1860’s until his accidental death on the 21st February 1872 at the age of 44years. In 1872 an inquest into the accidental death stated James left a wife and four children. Significant building works carried out by James Taylor are listed below. The table below can be scrolled left to right if viewed on …

James Oliver was born about 1814 to parents Sylvester & Elizabeth Oliver nee Smith in a village called Fowlis Easter in Perthshire, 7 miles west of Dundee in Scotland. His first wife Sophie, whom he married in 1836, gave birth to three children, but passed away in Dundee Scotland in 1846. James then married Ann Fulton in Scotland in 1849. Ann was born about 1818 in a village called Balgay Scotland, 2 miles west of the town of Dundee. Ann gave birth to five children, four in Scotland and one in Australia, being in birth order Alexander, William, Thomas, Isabella and James Oliver. James and Ann Oliver chose to emigrate from Scotland for Port Phillip, they arrived sometime between 1853, after the birth of Isabella in Dundee and before 1854 and the birth of James junior in Melbourne. James Oliver’s name first appears in a Sands & Kenny Directory for Melbourne in 1860 at the address, 467 Kings Street Melbourne. (between Roden & Hawke Streets) that address after renumbering is known today as 599 King Street West Melbourne. (1890 council rate book for Bourke Ward). The Oliver family were long time North & West Melbourne residents and lived at 599 …

William Sturgess was born around 1829 in Cheshire, England, his father, William, was 31 and his mother, Mary, was 32. Wife Fanny Watson was born in 1829 in Manchester, Lancashire. William Sturgess married Fanny Watson in 1853 at St John’s, Deansgate, Lancashire England. His occupation on the certificate stated he was a bricklayer. William 23 years and Fanny Sturgess, 22 years of age, arrived in Port Phillip in 1853 onboard the ship Thames departing from Liverpool England. Fanny and William had 9 children. The Sturgess family resided in the North and West Melbourne area at 9 Cobden Street Hotham, 20 Milton Street West Melbourne (both homes gone) and finally at 1 Miller Street West Melbourne at the time of William’s passing in 1891. Fanny Sturgess nee Watson sadly passed at the age of 47, during a holiday voyage back to England in 1875, she was buried at sea. Below is a list of significant building works carried out by William Sturgess. The table below can be scrolled left to right if viewed on a mobile device. Building ID Architects Owner Suburb Building State Building Type Builder Build Date (YYYY MM DD) Registration no 77412   Valance West Melbourne VIC Houses …

William Watson was a native of Dumfries, Scotland, born to parents James & Mary Watson nee Williamson. William Watson built the house at 117 Abbotsford Street West Melbourne in 1871. The Watson family lived 461 Victoria Street West Melbourne around the mid 1890’s. Significant building works carried out by William Watson are listed below. The table below can be scrolled left to right if viewed on a mobile device. Building ID Location Architects Owner Suburb Building State Building Type Builder Build Date (YYYY MM DD) Registration no 12731 Hawthorn   Watson, William – Melbourne   VIC Factories Watson, William   1347 76201 Latrobe St near west near Hefernan’s Building   Watson, William Melbourne VIC Houses Watson, William 1851 06 16 359 84748 Napier St near Moor   Watson, William – Condell St Coll Fitzroy VIC Houses Watson, William 1854 04 17 752 84868 George St below Bendells   Watson, William – Melbourne Fitzroy VIC Houses Watson, William 1854 07 27 1347 85042 Greeves & George Sts   Templeton, H Fitzroy VIC Schools Watson, William 1855 07 2 674 85182 Fitzroy St cnr Kerr   Showers, Robert Fitzroy VIC Houses Watson, William 1857 02 12 119 85369 Napier St near cnr …